Washington National Opera Parts Ways With Kennedy Center After 55 Years

The Washington National Opera announced Friday that it was parting ways with the Kennedy Center after 55 years at the once-venerated and now-controversial performing arts venue.

In a statement to “friends, artists, and supporters” Friday, the opera wrote on their new website, “As Washington National Opera (WNO) begins its 70th anniversary year, the Board and staff have made the difficult decision to seek an end to our 15-year Affiliation Agreement with the Kennedy Center. We will be moving our performance to new venues as we return to operating as a fully independent entity.

“The Kennedy Center has been Washington National Opera’s home since it opened in 1971, and we have enjoyed a successful formalized affiliation since 2011. It has also been a great honor to be one of the anchors of our Nation’s cultural center and all the prestige that such an association implies. As a result, it was with much deliberation that our Board and staff reached this decision.”

While Donald Trump was not mentioned in the statement — nor the president’s decision to rebrand the Kennedy center in his own name — the Board did mention the “robust change” at the performing arts center as part of their determination “to pursue separate paths.” “The Center’s current Board and leadership have also established a new business model that is unfortunately at odds with how most not-for-profit opera companies operate.”

The Kennedy Center said of WNO’s departure in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”

The WNO’s departure is the latest defection for the “Trump Kennedy Center,” as Bela Fleck, Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, and the annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam have canceled performances at the venue in recent weeks in the aftermath of the Kennedy Center’s renaming.

Chuck Redd, who led the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam since 2006, explained in a statement, “When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda called off a scheduled revival of Hamilton originally set for spring 2026. “This latest action by Trump means it’s not the Kennedy Center as we knew it,” Miranda said. “The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We’re just not going to be part of it.”

The cancellations mark another round of protests against the Kennedy Center after at least 26 performances were canceled earlier this year, including 15 by the scheduled acts themselves, in protest of Trump’s self-appointment as chairman of the establishment. Issa Rae canceled a February show, citing “an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums.”

The opera’s statement continued, “WNO is committed to continuing our work and celebrating our 70th anniversary as a fully independent, non-profit producing entity, separate from the Kennedy Center.”